Religious symbolism in a changing Malta

Abstract

This paper attempts to analyse the interaction between social change and religion in Malta. I do not intend to go into the at times overdrawn theoretical discussions on what one means by religion; in the Maltese context questions related to problems of ultimate meaning have, for centuries, been answered within the framework of one religious ideology - that of the Catholic Church. In a sense, therefore, this discussion will have to restrict itself to an analysis of the interaction between social change and one particular form of structured religion. On the basis of my data I should then like to suggest ways in which the Maltese experience might contribute some valuable insights to the theoretical discussion on secularization.